JD PicKell: Improvement should be expected in Year 2 under Steve Sarkisian

Year 2 at Texas is a big one for Steve Sarkisian. With plenty of new faces — from high-profile transfer portal additions to highly touted recruits — the expectation is the Longhorns will make a leap from last year’s 5-7 campaign.

On3’s J.D. PicKell thinks Texas fans have to absolutely expect improvement, considering talented playmakers such as Bijan Robinson are also back in the fold.

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“First and foremost, you can expect some sort of improvement,” PicKell said on The Hard Count. “And I know you’re probably saying, ‘Well, if we didn’t see improvement, we would have problems anyway, J.D.’ I understand. I’m with you. I’m right there with you. if they don’t improve, they got really big problems. But a couple of reasons for optimism is the shear fact that they have more talent on this team.

“More talent at quarterback — on paper — they have Bijan Robinson coming back, they went into the portal and cherry-picked a few guys that are going to be ballers for them, especially on the outside. The defense should be another year better. There’s a lot of reasons just by experience and talent alone why there’s reason for … expectations for improvement.”

JD PicKell: Texas is ‘learning a new swing’

Quinn Ewers was the highest-profile addition for the Longhorns via the portal, but they also brought in former Alabama tight end Jahleel Billingsley and former Wyoming wide receiver Isaiah Neyor. Those new additions still have to get acquainted with the system, PicKell said.

But at the same time, the players who have been there are also adjusting. With so many newcomers coming in, PicKell compared Texas’ situation to learning how to swing a golf club.

“It’s kind of like when you learn a new golf swing,” PicKell said. “You go to the coach and he sort of shows you the best way to do it and you try it a couple times and you’re doing the right swing, but it feels weird, man. You’re not hitting the ball, necessarily. You’re kind of getting the motion down, you’re getting your grip down, you’re getting your stance down. There’s a bunch of things that go into it and it just doesn’t feel right to start. They tell you, ‘Hey, keep doing it. You’re going to get effective eventually, you’re going to start hitting the ball and life’s going to be good when it all lines up.’ That’s where Texas is at right now.

“They’re learning a new swing. … A lot of newness at Texas. But if they stick to the script, if they stick to the plan and buy in, which has been a question mark for a long time in Austin. How much buy-in you do have in-house to that swing? They commit to it, they’re going to be able to eventually be effective. Are you wiling to go through the growing pains to get yourself there? That’s the big question mark I have.”